Gladys Rosalie Nygren

Gladys Rosalie Nygren was born Jan. 29, 1932, to Charles and Bessie Yeager in the town of Hammond, and passed away Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. She was known to friends as Rosalie, to close family members as Tootsie, but many others in the community just called her Rosie.

Her father was a commercial fisherman and her father-in-law, Lawrence Rogers, was the co-founder of Point Adams Packing Co. Rosalie was the owner and founder of the Fort Stevens Shopping Center and Fort Stevens Charters for over 50 years. The recent widow of Sigurd Nygren, she often referred to her diagnosed heart stenosis as her “broken heart for Sig.”

Rosalie is survived by her brother, Robert Wesley Yeager; sons, Wallace Blakeslee Rogers and daughter-in-law Rebecca, Chester Born and daughter-in-law Donna, and the late Leonard Blakeslee Rogers and daughter-in-law Ann; daughter, Sandra Kay Longley; and grandchildren Becky Born, Hunter Born, Heather Scott, Dustin Volentine and Whitten Volentine. Rosalie was one of five children, which included her late sisters Mabel, Laverne and Margy.

Rosalie was unmistakable in her captain’s hat — a U.S. Coast Guard dress uniform hat with added pins and patches. Known by young and old fishermen and women, the National Geographic Traveler edition featured her as the woman who famously sold “Blessed Herring.”

Her charter business and store thrived in the salmon fishing and tent camping heydays of the 1960s and 1970s. She was also the Land Captain of Hammond, referring to her hand-tied salmon mooching hooks called “Land Captains,” and her trademark skipper’s hat that she always wore while in Hammond.

She brokered six charter boats, and ran a small but complete grocery store, gas station and bait shop. Toward the end of the 50 remarkable years she operated her business, she downsized to just the bait business to support “her loyal fishermen.”

To Rosalie, there was no town in the U.S. better than her hometown, Hammond. She was one of the petitioners who fought to retain the town of Hammond’s name when it was incorporated into the city of Warrenton.

Many young men learned how to catch a salmon by following her advice. She helped fishermen select the best bait, pointed them to the most recent fishing hot spot, and when not busy, swapped stories on the latest news. Many others came to her store to view her latest creative seasonal decoration, take in the memorabilia of the past or just enjoy an interesting conversation.

Perhaps ifish.net said it best when they wrote, “She is steady, consistent, loves a good laugh, supportive of those who protect the innocent and help others, competitive, loves God, holds her own like a boat captain, a hard worker, likes men with gloves in their back pocket, quick to smile, and keeps her commitments. In fishermen, she believes, you will find some of the most loyal, friendly and helpful people you’ll ever know.”

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, at the Gateway Community Church (formerly Philadelphia Church) located at 796 Pacific Drive, Hammond, Oregon 97121. A reception will follow at the church. Graveside services will be held at 3 p.m. at Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton, Oregon.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Warrenton-Hammond Historical Society, P.O. Box 885, Warrenton OR 97146, an organization preserving the history of the towns of Hammond, Warrenton and Fort Stevens.